Post/Author/DateTime	Post
grey_omnibus 09-17-04, 10:51 PM	I'm a DM who likes heart-thumping action, and one of the best ways I've found to get the right mood is through good music. So what I'd like to know is what are some good songs for Boss encounters. I plan to use the FINAL BOSS music form Final Fantasy VIII and IX for the climactic final encounter of the campaign, but I was wondering what other tracks/albums would be suitable for preceding bosses. It would be good to have themed music as determined by the enemy. Tentacled warrior with a brutal double weapon. Psionic snakelike creature that emits a psychic sream and tunnels between realities. Huge magical plant creature that turns people into plants. Undead God (an actual god who was killed and now exists in deific unlife). Gargantuan construct that fires various different kinds of energy/force rays. Any suggestions?
tchacotaa 09-17-04, 11:00 PM	Oh yeah I know what you mean. We like to play good music too. we play the typical LOtR stuff, but for heavy combat, we like heavy metal. I have found that Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Disturbed, Korn, Slip Knot, Mudvayn, Alice in Chains, and Drowing Pools, Let the bodys hit the floor work really well. Of course good classic Gothic music goes well for battles as well. But for Star wars, we play the Star Wars sound tracks.
Malavus 09-17-04, 11:18 PM	Of classic composers, I like Holst, Wagner, Beethoven, and Bach. Then there is always Danny Elfman - can't go wrong there.
Lord Stigius 09-17-04, 11:42 PM	Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi from Carmina Burana by Orff.
Razaiel 09-18-04, 12:01 AM	If you don't mind a slight oriental theme to your music, then the soundtrack for Shaolin Soccer is a great heroic soundtrack.
astute1 09-18-04, 12:16 AM	If you like the music from final fantasy, I suggest you pick up the CD by a band called "the black mages" - it's fight themes from the final fantasy music, in rock form. It's very good. Other favorites in my group are: FF Soundtracks, especially FF Tactics. Also, Conan the Barbarian, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, and themes from anime, such as Escaflowne or Record of Lodoss War
Kitt-su 09-18-04, 12:20 AM	Why not play music to set the mood everywhere? The Kingdom Hearts soundtrack has a bunch of short songs that can be put on repeat as mood great setters.
Geek 09-18-04, 03:42 AM	Tentacled warrior with a brutal double weapon. Rammstein or any gothic satanic deamon whorshipping norse heavy metal. Psionic snakelike creature that emits a psychic sream and tunnels between realities. Pink Floyd or other Symphonic (sp?) Rock, as weird an alien as possible. If you don't have this, try to make a monochromatic 1200 Hz tone on your computer, record that for about 2 minutes, burn on a cd and put on repeat. Now your players know what psychic damage feels like. Huge magical plant creature that turns people into plants. How does it do this? If it does so elegantly and slow, try something like the Moldau by Svetsomething (doesn't now the guys name right now, sounds russian, I'm sure someone is going to correct me on this :smirk: ) Undead God (an actual god who was killed and now exists in deific unlife). if it is a subtle (sp?) god, The Dance Macabre by Saint Seant. Gargantuan construct that fires various different kinds of energy/force rays. Rammstein of madonna (ray of light)
Zonorhc 09-18-04, 05:43 AM	Dragon God from the Chrono Cross soundtrack. Failing that, World Revolution from Chrono Trigger.
DudeMan101 09-18-04, 04:29 PM	When it gets down to the FINAL boss, and by final, I mean end-of-campaign, the Universe-is-at-stake type boss, you could use the intro to The Final Countdown, such that the second part loops continously after the first part is done.
obrysii 09-18-04, 06:27 PM	I used "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka for a Dream Sequence in my campaign. :D
TheDoomBringer 09-18-04, 06:34 PM	everyone loves a good polka!
MinusInnocence 09-19-04, 07:08 AM	Tentacled warrior with a brutal double weapon. Well, "O Fortuna" from the much-acclaimed Carmina Burana by Carl Orff is a classic, but a goodie. Especially for rip-roaring battles to the death with nasty melee combatants. Psionic snakelike creature that emits a psychic sream and tunnels between realities. When I read this entry, I immediately thought of Delerium. Any of their stuff would do - I have a sort of "Greatest Hits" compilation as a two-disc set, and I love their work. Huge magical plant creature that turns people into plants. What kind of game are you running here??? Anyway, something spooky yet also kind of goofy is good for plant people... reminds me a lot of an oooold-school 60s horror film called Blood Queen from Mars, or at least I think that's what the name of the movie was. This movie featured that weird, lilting "OoooOoOoOoo!" noise. You might try the soundtrack from Earthbound, if you can find anything for that GREAT Super Nintendo RPG... particularly the scenes while venturing under Stonehenge or when you travel back to Onett during the alien invasion. Undead God (an actual god who was killed and now exists in deific unlife). I know the general consensus is that during a D&D session, songs with discernable lyrics should be avoided... but there is definitely something deific, otherworldly and simply inhuman about a song by Smashing Pumpkins - it's called "Glass and the Ghost Children," and it debuted originally on Machina: The Machines of God. Billy Corgan is just a spooky guy, even when he's not singing about arachnids invading someone's bodily orifices. Gargantuan construct that fires various different kinds of energy/force rays. A little-known band out of Los Angeles called Professional Murder Music released a song on their self-titled debut album, called "Painkiller Introduction." It is appropriately non-lyrical but it carries an electronic, aggressive tone with occasional lulls. It just reminds me of a fight with a giant robot, I dunno why. Any suggestions? Well, as for the be-all, end-all of BBEG encounters, I suggest Marilyn Manson's "Seizure of Power." This great song first appeared on the Resident Evil soundtrack, and is definitely worth hearing at least once - regardless of what you may think about the rest of his work. Completely orchestral, and it has a hint of what was to come on The Golden Age of Grotesque... which is without a doubt one of the best CDs I own.
skyclad 09-19-04, 07:50 AM	It would be good to have themed music as determined by the enemy. Cool Tentacled warrior with a brutal double weapon. Psionic snakelike creature that emits a psychic sream and tunnels between realities. Huge magical plant creature that turns people into plants. Undead God (an actual god who was killed and now exists in deific unlife). Gargantuan construct that fires various different kinds of energy/force rays. Any suggestions? 1. any heavy,power,progr metal band 2.painkiller-judas priest 3.j. m. jarre for surreal flavour or floyd,eloy 4.46and2 Tool or solitude aeternus candlemass 5.damaged-queensryche add an encounter with some great-level depressed bards and listen to Marillion too..!
StrahdVonZarovich 09-19-04, 04:24 PM	Try the Catastrophe theme, from FF6 when Kefka destroys the world, for your Gargantuan monster battle !
Master Agnald 09-19-04, 09:48 PM	For the tentacled warrior and undead god, I suggest you try Cradle of Filth, specially the album "Principle of Evil Made Flesh", as it's pretty grim and gothic, and the instrumental tracks are great for setting up an atmosphere and a that sinister, thrilling feeling. For the psionic snakethingy, as it's been said, try something hipnotic, probably prog metal/rock, from Pink Floyd to Tiamat. For the plant monster, try... erm... yeah, you got me there, maybe something goofy sounding, as it seems to be a pretty goofy idea. And for the laser-firing robot... humm... well, though I dislike techno, perhaps it would fir the situation well...
Ormiss 09-20-04, 11:05 PM	Strahd: Mad props for the Krelian quote. It's rather fitting considering that my winamp skin since ~5 years back is of Krelian. Anyway, boss music... I'm not going to suggest anything with lyrics, since I find it distracting while trying to talk to people and maintain an ambience. Otherwise I would suggest some good old Manowar... Oh, I concur about The Black Mages. That's a great album, especially Force Your Way. Please note that all songs listed beneath are from video/computer game soundtracks. Feel free to contact me if you want information on anything. Tentacled warrior with a brutal double weapon. Dracula Battle Perfect Selection -- "Cross a Fear". Actually, I've got this piece of music primed for a future encounter with something like a really flashy dragon, but this could go either way--it's simply really cool. Legend of Mana -- "The Darkness Nova". A favorite of mine. This one just screams "showdown" from a mile away. Shin Megami Tensei Game Music Arrange -- "Reality Theme (Black Book)". Is this too obscure? Probably... Anyway, it's a cool piece, full of adrenaline. Psionic snakelike creature that emits a psychic sream and tunnels between realities. Valkyrie Profile -- "Dropping to the Negative Not by Choice". Motoi Sakuraba's works always have a touch of techno to them, but fit pretty well in a fantasy setting nonetheless. Besides, just listen to that intro! And look at that weird song name! Metroid Prime -- "Samus vs. Meta Ridley". Well, this is more techno-style, which might not be interesting to you. However, this kind of freaky music fits well with the mental image I get based on what you've explained of this fight. Dark Chronicle -- "Dark Element". This song is not what I would call "upbeat." It's a calm, albeit haunting piece, with occasional spikes in activity. The creature you are describing might benefit from a battle theme that is less than straight-forward, though... Huge magical plant creature that turns people into plants. Tsugunai -- "Battle with the Devil". Not the easiest soundtrack to locate, I know. This song is hard to categorize, and I would not call it a traditional "last battle" piece. Then again, plants aren't traditional bosses, so this might go hand in hand. Unlimited SaGa -- "Battle Version AG". Huh. I can't even remember hearing this one before. Anyway, this is another fairly unusual battle melody, but it has a "guarded intensity" quality to it. Wow; that has got to be the most pretentious thing I have said this year! Moving on... Killer Instinct (OC Remix) -- "Killer Instincts Enhanced". This is the easiest located song on my list, since it can be downloaded straight from http://remix.overclocked.org/index.php, a site which I much recommend. This is another tense song, but given the scenario of this encounter, I can't think of a fitting battle theme that is actually explosive. Undead God (an actual god who was killed and now exists in deific unlife). Phantom Brave -- "Violent Emotion". Someone mentioned Final Fantasy Tactics' soundtrack. Personally, it doesn't appeal to me because it falls within a sort of "ambient battle" feeling which never really seems to explode. This song, while not exactly explosive, walks the middle ground between calm (in an 'oh my god, how are we going to beat this thing??' sort of way) and upbeat. Final Fantasy 7 -- "One-Winged Angel". Okay, well, usually I wouldn't suggest anything that I figured others would mention eventually, but since you're talking about an UNDEAD GOD, I would feel guilty if I were not to suggest something really epic. One-Winged Angel is a rock solid orchestral boss battle piece. Lineage II, The Chaotic Chronicle -- "After the Storm". Well, it starts and ends slowly, which is a problem when you want to run a battle that will probably drag out in time and require repeats. However, this is one of the best mixtures of epic, haunting and upbeat that I've heard, and therefore deserves a mention. Soul Calibur II -- "If There Were Any Other Way..." ...but there isn't. This isn't so much a boss battle song as it is an epic, desperate theme. If your players are supposed to fear this god of yours, this might set the gloomy mood quite well. Xenogears -- "Awakening". Oh man, I'm really carrying on and on, am I not? However, I have to mention this piece here because, really, it was tailor-fit for the undead god battle. ;) Gargantuan construct that fires various different kinds of energy/force rays. Drag-on Dragon -- "Sixth Chapter Above Ground". Okay, well, this soundtrack (the game is known as Drakengard in the west, fyi) is extremely bland. However, this particular track is quite functional as background music to a tense situation. Want frantic drums? You've got them. Actraiser Symphonic Suite -- "The Beast Appears". Somehow, this piece fits within my impression of this encounter. I can't really explain why, though. Vagrant Story -- "Golem". Well, you said construct. ;) Sometimes it's good to go with easy influences... Front Mission 3 -- "Determination". Fast, somewhat epic and with a "large enemy" stamp on the forehead. Well, I hope you have some use of my suggestions. That took a while to write up. ;) Sorry about the obscure mentions--I was just having too much fun browsing my collection!
StrahdVonZarovich 09-20-04, 11:10 PM	Mad props, what did you meant ?
Kainy 09-20-04, 11:12 PM	Many tracks off the Valkyrie Profile soundtrack work, as well as some Black Mages tunes (a FF battle music cover band that does heavy metal... and has Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of all FF music (cept for IX I think) as a keyboardist)
Sildatorak 09-20-04, 11:18 PM	Undead God (an actual god who was killed and now exists in deific unlife). Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem Mass might make be a suitable track for this conflict. It's vocals are all in Latin, but they really help set the tone for a vengeful God.
Ratheus 09-21-04, 03:26 AM	It's time for you all to get some Industrial music, my friends. You won't find these bands in most mainstream stores. They don't sell their souls for radio play and big record company backing. Look for: Funker Vogt L'ame Immortelle (my personal fave) Asp Fr/action Velvet Acid Christ Hocico Decoded feedback Amgod Blutengel Wumpscut Any of the "Awake the Machines" compilations Plus, it's nice to hear bands who are all about their music. Beats the crud out of all the "radio friendly," MTV wannabe BS (all too common in the US). And these bands ROCK. Great music. It becomes you, as you become it....
Woas 09-21-04, 09:32 AM	Hey, nobody has mentioned Rhapsody yet! If you don't know them, check them out. They are an Italian "80's Hair Band" that play awesome music that is very D&D themed. Stuff like slaying dragons, finding magical weapons, wizards, all sorts of stuff like that. They really rip it up on their guitars and have like triple kick pedal drums so it's real intense and would make good boss music. Plus, they have some slower songs and instrumentals that are perfect for 'town' music too! Oh! And get this, over at the Rhapsody website at http://www.mightyrhapsody.com/index.php they even have their own fantasy world that the music tells a story of. If you check it out, you can get to it from the link Dreamlands on the left hand menu at the website. Other than Rhapsody, I would suggest pretty much any 'Boss Music' from any video game really. I mean, if you think about it, 'Boss Themes' are ment to be played during the boss battle so it'll probably work. More specifically, I would suggest some music from one of my personal favorite games, Secret of Mana. First the song simply titled "Boss Theme" is pretty fast pased and fun. Another song titled "Dark Lich" is very spooky and like the title says, would fit in for a dead god or something of the like.
WCH 09-21-04, 12:27 PM	For a boss, but not the ultimate boss (or for a lead-up to the ultimate boss), "The Call of Ktulu" (sic) by Metallica should do the job. Long, instrumental heavy metal track which builds from a quiet and creepy bit to loud, heart-thumping strength over the course of two minutes (starts to build after one minute, doesn't reach full strength until the end of the second), stays hard for 6 minutes thereafter, goes soft again for about 30 seconds around the 8 minute mark and returns to a climax from 8:34-8:53. Other nice thing about that track is it's pretty obscure, so your players probably won't know it, whereas they would know tracks from Final Fantasy or Crono Trigger. Oh, and who can pass up Lovecraft references? :D
Sildatorak 09-21-04, 01:31 PM	For a boss, but not the ultimate boss (or for a lead-up to the ultimate boss), "The Call of Ktulu" (sic) by Metallica should do the job. I'd recommend this for your psychic snake boss, and I think that I should also chip in that the version from Ride the Lightning is probably better boss music than the version from S&M. Plus, if you players are Metallica fans and HP Lovecraft fans, they will s:censored: themselves when you start to play this. Another Metallica track that could work very well is "To Live is to Die" from …And Justice for All. It is an almost instrumental (there is one spoken word line in the whole piece), and I think it could go well with the construct fight or possibly the undead god.
Iyestorm 10-17-04, 04:27 PM	This thread is kinda old, so I hope you don't mind me asking a slightly off-topic question: What about music for the Rival/Anti party? Back on topic: Legend of Mana: Pain of the Universe is good for a huge boss battle. I'm also partial to the music from Devil May Cry; but that might not be for you... I gotta start playing that again...